The Victoria & Albert Museum ★★☆
The world's greatest museum of decorative arts—and so much more (this from someone who hates crafts museums)
I know you're getting tired of superlatives, but the V&A truly is the greatest museum of decorative arts in the world—the definition of "fascinating" for some, of "a lesser circle of Hell" for others.
Trust me, though, it's far, far, far more fascinating than it sounds. I am normally put to sleep by decorative arts museums, but I love this place.
Among my favorites parts: the Asian collections, the stained glass, the galleries of plaster cast reproductions of the world's most famous sculptures, the Samurai outfits, and the amazing musical instrument collection.
While interior decorating aficionados are enjoying 14th-century embroidery, Chinese vases, Indian furnishings, and historic British candlesticks, less enthusiastic companions can amuse themselves with the largest collection of Renaissance sculpture outside Italy (featuring Donatello, Rossellino, and Bernini), rooms filled with glorious artifacts from across Asia, and the Casts Courts (formerly known as the "Fakes and Forgeries" galleries) two high-ceilinged rooms packed with plaster casts of famous works of sculpture from around the world and throughout history.
A favorite: The Raphael Cartoons, seven large paintings by Raphael that where the models for a series of tapestries commissioned by Pope Leo X to hang in the Sistine Chapel (they have since been moved to the Vatican Museums' painting gallery). Carefully rendered so they could be faithfully reproduced by the Belgian weavers on their looms, and painted with glue distemper on paper, the cartoons were acquired by King Charles I in 1623. For centuries they were the pride of Hampton Court Palace; Queen Victoria had them moved here in 1865.
The fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum is a unique treasure trove for trend setters and fashion lovers. This Victoria and Albert Museum Fashion Tour takes dedicated followers of fashion on a journey though 250 years of “la mode” in the fashion collection at the V&A Museum. In addition to learning about the history of couture and the ways style has evolved through the decades, we'll also discover why London was, and still is, a hub for high fashion.
- Led by a fashion or art historian.
- Learn about fashion history in the world's capital of trend.
- Small group—maximum 6 people.
Victoria and Albert Museum Fashion Tour
What made English trend-setters exchange their muslin prints, silks, and pearls for safety pins, plaid, and underwear as outerwear? What did the ton—the fashionable society—wear in the eighteenth century, and how did the Industrial Revolution in Britain affect what we wear in the twenty-first century? What made the 1930s slink, the 1960s swing, and the 1980s rock?
For a more general look at the galleries, try our Victoria and Albert Museum Tour.
Using the museum galleries as a backbone, we will weave a narrative connecting the history of Britain, its geographical and cultural expansion and the influence that this had on the development of fashion. From fabrics and precious stones brought in from the four corners of the Empire, to the traditional Harris Tweed woven in the Hebrides, we will discuss all aspect of the fashion industry and how they survive in Great Britain.
Fashion Icons Through the Ages
We will consider past movers and shakers that have made London the most creative and dynamic centre for fashion in the world in the twenty-first century. We will admire one-of-a-kind court dresses from 1750, consider style icons of the past, and discuss the role of contemporary fashion muses. There will also be an opportunity to explore the greater picture and consider how 250 years of history and the spirit of the times are reflected in that phenomenon we call fashion.
Those interested in visiting today's finest department stores may be interested in our London City Tour of Kensington and Knightsbridge.
For private tours this walk can be extended to include a visit to boutiques and fashion designers around London.
FAQ
Where do we meet? Where do we end?
We will meet near the V&A, and end inside the museum. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point, along with a map and emergency phone number.
Is this tour good for kids?
Yes! We some excellent family friendly docents who can appeal to the learning styles of kids and teens. Please book privately if you have children under 13. Feel free to provide us with information about your children such as favorite school subjects, and hobbies. This way we can match you with the best possible docent.
Is this a walking intensive tour?
The tour moves at a leisurely pace. There are opportunities to sit, and use the restroom if needed.
Is the V&A mobility friendly?
Yes, the museum has a stair-free entrance, and the majority of the museum is accessible to wheelchair users.
The Victoria and Albert Museum possesses one of the world's greatest collections of decorative art and design in the world, with a collection running the gamut from preparatory materials for the Sistine Chapel to exquisite Islamic art, like the Ardabil Carpet. Our Victoria and Albert Museum Tour, led by a local historian, explores not only the history of the V&A, delving into its origins in the 1851 Great Exhibition, but provides a comprehensive look at a few of the most important galleries in this expansive museum.
- Victoria and Albert Museum Tour led by a design and history expert
- Small group V&A tours—6 people max
- Discover one of the most diverse fine art collections in the world.
Victoria and Albert Museum Tour
After receiving a brief overview of the museum's history outside the building, our tour will continue inside the museum with a visit to the famous Raphael Cartoons (1515-16), which were created by Raphael as preparatory drawings for tapestries intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel (nota bene: for those also headed to Italy, we offer a Vatican Museum Tour), but which today are considered works of art in their own right. Raphael's drawings depict scenes from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul; we will analyze each in some depth with a discussion of the history of the cartoons, the Renaissance ideals in art, and the relationship between painting and tapestry weaving. We will continue by discussing the history of art and sculpture in the sculpture galleries with works by the Baroque sculptor Bernini, the neoclassical artist Canova, and the late-nineteenth century sculptor Rodin before moving on to the Cast Courts, which contain casts of artworks and objects from around Europe. The collection includes casts of Michelangelo's sixteenth-century 'David', of the first century Trajan's Column, and of the spectacular sixteenth century tomb of St. Sebaldus. Here, we will discuss the Victorian interest in collecting casts.
A Global Collection
From the Cast Court, we'll move to the British Galleries, which chart the changes in British art and design from the Tudor monarchs in the 1500s to Queen Victoria in 1901, in order to consider in greater depth how different styles arose over the centuries and how the social, cultural, and historical contexts influenced these changes. We will focus on a diverse array of objects such as the sixteenth-century 'Great Bed of Ware', the writing box belonging to Henry VIII, the eighteenth-century Rococo music room from Norfolk House, and the Arts and Crafts style as represented by William Morris in the late nineteenth century.
The Islamic Gallery
We will then compare this emphasis on style and design in Western European production with a visit to the Islamic Gallery, where we will focus on the sixteenth-century 'Ardabil carpet' in relation to the function and design of the art object in the Islamic world as well as the tension that developed between art production and science. Here, we will also explore the effects of trade and cultural exchange on design.
Take Aways
Then, depending on time and interest, we can explore the extensive fashion collection (on which we also offer a Victoria and Albert Museum Fashion Tour), visit the exquisite jewelry galleries, or alternatively discuss the form and function of glass over the centuries.
FAQ
What's in the V&A museum?
The Museum’s collections span over 2000 years of human creativity, in virtually every medium and drawn from across Europe, the Middle East, India, China, Japan and many other parts of the world.
Is it true that we can see a replica of the Trajan’s Column?
Yes, the tallest object in the collections is a plaster cast of Trajan’s Column, reproduced from the marble original in Rome. It is displayed in two separate towers which if put together would reach 35.6 m high.
Do we need to pay a ticket to get in?
No, unless you want to see one of the temporary exhibitions, the museum is free. However, donations are greatly appreciated.
Make the most of your visit to London and take this private tour to the Victoria and Albert museum (V&A) with a Blue Badge certified guide. This option guarantees you a more personal attention and service from your guide.
You will be led to the most important areas of the museum with a vast and detailed explanation of the pieces and exhibitions it has to offer.
The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design; housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK’s national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.
The V&A was originally established in 1852, following the enormous success of the Great Exhibition of the previous year. Since its foundation, the Museum and its collections have continued to grow into one of the world’s greatest resources of art and design, housed in one of the finest groups of Victorian buildings in Britain.
Your Blue Badge guide is an official, professional tourist guide of the United Kingdom, recognized by local tourist bodies throughout the UK, and by Visit Britain as one of Britain’s official tourist guides.
Your visit will start meeting the guide outside of the Museum, where you will be provided a brief explanation of the museum; next, you’ll be taken to the most important expositions. After 1.5 hours of the tour you will have free time to spend it at your own leisure!
The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK's national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.
The V&A was originally established in 1852, following the enormous success of the Great Exhibition the previous year. Its founding principle was to make works of art available to all, to educate working people and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Since its foundation, the Museum and its collections have continued to grow into one of the world's greatest resources of art and design, housed in one of the finest groups of Victorian buildings in Britain.
Your Blue Badge guide is an official, professional tourist guides of the United Kingdom. Your guide is recognized by local tourist bodies throughout the UK, and by Visit Britain as one of Britain’s official tourist guides.
Your visit will start meeting the guide outside of the Museum where your guide will provide a brief explanation of the museum, after that you will access the museum, your guide will take you to the most important expositions. After 1.5 hours of the tour you will have free time to visit the museum by yourselves.
Walking along Knightsbridge, London's famous shopping center where Harrods is located, you will reach No.1 London, the name given to Apsley house. Built by Adams in 1775 for Baron Apsley and acquired by the Duke of Wellington in 1817, he aggrandized the house with the help of architect Wyatt who gave it the Corinthian temple front and faced it in gold bath stone. It became the grand mansion of the Duke of Wellington, the victor of Napoleon. You will find the treasures regaled to the Duke by the European Monarchs returned to their thrones after the defeat of Napoleon. As you enter the house in the inner hall is the nude marble statue by Canova of Napoleon in the guise of Apollo. See silver and porcelain sets, jewels and snuff boxes surrounded by the Duke's furniture. Upstairs are the paintings which he collected and the old masters from the Royal Spanish collection found in Giuseppe Bonaparte's coach as he was abandoning Madrid. These were given to Wellington by the King of Spain. Among them are paintings by Velazquez, Rubens, Murillo, Ribera and Goya.(On Mondays and Tuesdays when Apsley House is closed more time will be spent in the V&A Museum.)
This private tour is hosted by a professional guide specializing in art history. Please list any special interests you have (art, architecture, history) at time of booking to alert our guide so that he or she can better prepare for your private tour.
Please note: Apsley House will be closed until March 31, 2015, more time will be spent at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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I'd budget a bare minimum of an hour at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's huge, and it sprawls, and it's tough to find all the interesting nooks and crannies.
Two hours would be a wiser choice.
